The present application relates to testing for medical conditions. More particularly, the present application relates to portable detection of cardiac arrhythmia.
Note that the points discussed below may reflect the hindsight gained from the disclosed inventions, and are not necessarily admitted to be prior art.
Atrial fibrillation is the most common form of cardiac arrhythmia, and involves the two upper chambers of the heart. Atrial flutter is a distinct form of cardiac arrhythmia, but has symptoms similar to atrial fibrillation, and similar potential risks (atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter will be collectively referred to herein “AFib”). A trained medical technician or Doctor can usually recognize the unique heart contractions related to AFib. Trained medical personnel can generally detect AFib by taking a patient's pulse, but it takes training and experience that most lay persons lack. Typically, a doctor will use a 12-lead (12 contact) EKG to make a definitive determination of AFib.
Generally, individuals are at high risk to develop AFib beginning at age 65. Ten thousand people per day turn 65 in the U.S. alone. Other people at risk of developing AFib include adolescents, due to the increasing popularity of energy drinks; diabetics; and those who have a close family member who has experienced AFib.
The costs of health care are rising quickly, and rapid access to emergency health services is perennially uncertain.
AFib can be generally be treated successfully if the victim is properly and timely screened. Screening and prompt treatment are far less expensive than treatment of the results of untreated AFib. Left untreated for longer than 48 hours, AFib can lead to a debilitating stroke or death.
A significant proportion of people with untreated AFib will die or be permanently and seriously disabled, likely requiring full time medical care. Millions of people—potentially 30 million in the U.S.—are already at risk, and therefore in need of screening, for AFib. Millions of people may have unknowingly experienced AFib.
Some people can tell when they are in AFib, typically from prior experience, but the vast majority cannot or will not admit to themselves that they have some irregularity in their heartbeat. A large proportion of the population experiences irregular heartbeats from time to time. Most irregular heartbeat incidents are self limiting or benign, but some are not.
There are many excuses for people who suspect they might have AFib to not go to a doctor to be tested. For example, making and keeping an appointment with a doctor (or visiting an emergency room) can be arduous, time consuming and nerve-wracking. First you have to make appointment with a doctor; then take off work to go; drive to the doctor's office and find a parking place nowhere near the office; wait in the waiting room; wait in an exam room; move to another room to take the EKG; and wait in the exam room for the doctor to provide the results. Given such difficulty, AFib sufferers may prefer to ignore their symptoms or treat themselves rather than seek out testing.
Further, a negative EKG in a doctor's office may not be definitive. A person who has an EKG with negative results may have intermittent or paroxysmal AFib, and the episode may have abated when tested. In these instances the most common current solution is to wear a Holter monitor for 24 to 48 hours. Holter monitors are difficult to put on and to keep in place, and are extremely unpleasant to try to sleep in. Another common approach is to use an “event monitor”, which is generally worn for up to a month.
Many people suffer infrequent episodes of AFib with long periods of normal rhythm between episodes. These people may be afraid to discontinue their medications, blood thinners and rhythm drugs, because they have no convenient method to easily, and within 48 hours, determine if they are back in AFib. Consequently, they continue taking medication, which is very expensive and carries with it many side effects, some very serious, especially if use is long term.